Hoe and weed cutter



Dec. 19, 1933. c E. H|NTQN 1,940,169

HOE AND WEED CUTTER Filed April 15, 1951 Patented Dec. 19, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT o icE HOE AND'VWEED CUTTER Charles E. Hinton, Snohomish, Wash. Application April 13,1931. Serial No. 529,763

1 Claim; (01. soc-1s) This invention aims to provide a hoe and weed cutter, so constructed that the blade may be set at carefully adjusted angles with respect to the handle, atthe will of an operator. Another ob- 5 ject-of the inventionis to provide'a device of the class described, which can be conveniently assembled. A further object of the invention is to provide novel means for reenforcing the wings of the blade. A still further object of the invention is to supply a device of the class described, in which opposite edges of the blade may be used.

It is within the province of the disclosure to improve generally and to enhance the utility of devices of that type to which the invention appertains.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it

being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, may be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the in- 26 vention.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 shows in side elevation, a device constructed inaccordance with the invention;

Figure 2 is an elevation wherein the structure mis viewed at right angles to the showing of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a transverse section;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal section;

Figure 5 is a section taken through one of the clamps and attendant parts. 7

The device forming the subject matter of this application comprises a handle, which, as a whole, is designated by the numeral 1. The handle 1 comprises a grip 2, of any desired length, and includes a fork 3 which is mounted in one end of the grip 2. The fork 3 has flattened ends 4, each possessing some resiliency. The parts 4 may be described as single-walled terminals, meaning thereby that they are not bifurcated, as shown, for instance, in U. S. Patent toHelmond No. 452,375 of May 19, 1891. Seats 5 are formed in the outer surfaces of the flattened ends of the sharpened at 11, and the straightedge of the blade is sharpened at 10, the blade having rectangular Wings 12 at its ends, the wings being overlapped on the fiat ends 4 of the fork 3 andbeing disposed outwardly'of the said ends. as Figures 2 and 3 will show. .The wings 12 of the blade 7 have arcuate slots 14. The slots 14 are concentric with the pivot elements 15 which connectthe wings 12 to the flattened ends 4 of the fork 3. The wings 12 have ribs 16 adapted to be engaged one after another, in the seats 5 which are formed in the flattened ends 4, which form parts of the side portions of the fork 3.

Clamping bolts 17 are mounted in the openings 6 of the ends 4 of the fork 3. The diameter of the clamping bolts 17 is equal to the width of the openings 6. The clamping bolts 17 are mounted in the slots 14 of the wings 12. The clamping bolts 17 have flat sides 18 which engage the opposite parallel walls of the openings, 6 in the 76 ends 4 of the fork 3, as shown in Figure 4, to prevent the bolts'from turning. The heads 19 of the clamping bolts 17 engage the outer surfaces of the ends 12 of the blade 7. Wing nuts 20 are threaded on the inner ends of the clamping bolts 80 17. Lock washers 21 are mounted on the clamping bolts 17 between the wing nuts 20 and the ends 4 of the fork 3, to hold the wing nuts against rotation.

Because the shanks of the clamping bolts 17 havethe flat sides 18 which engage the walls of the openings 6 in the fork, the clamping bolts are prevented from turning whilst the wing nuts 20 are'being tightened. Because the openings 6 of the fork are elongated transversely of the arcuate slots 14 in the wings 12, and radially with respect to the pivot elements 15, the mounting of the clamping bolts is facilitated when there is a variation in the radii of the arcuate slots 14, in the wings of difierent blades with respect to the pivot elements 15. The ribs 16 extend on both sides of the slots 14, as shown in Figure 4, and the ribs have three functions, in that they reenforce the wings 12 on each side of the slots 14, the ribs forming a scale by which the angle of the blade 7 with respect to the handle 1 may be determined, the ribs 16 engaging with the single seats 5 on the side portions of the fork, to hold the blade 7 at adjusted angles, when the clamping devices 1720 are tightened. The operator, of course, can loosen the clamping devices 17-20, and set the blade 7 at any desired angle with respect to the handle. Either the pointed edge 8 or the straight edge 9 of the blade '7, may be used at the will of an operator, depending upon the nature of the work in hand.

It is to be observed that the wings 12 are provided with the ribs 16 on both sides of each slot 14, the ribs being engageable in the seats 5, the ribs being disposed radially with respect to the pivot elements 15 and extending from one end of each slot to the other end thereof, the ribs extending on both sides of each slot, and the side portions of the fork 3 being narrow enough so that the ribs can be seen on both sides of each of said side portions, the ribs thus forming a visible scale, by which the angle of the blade 7 with re-,

gard to the handle 1 may be determined, the ribs reenforcing the wings on each side of each slot.

What is claimed is:

A hoe and weed cutter, comprising a handle including a fork, a blade having wings overlapped on the side portions of the fork, pivot elements connecting the wings with the side portions of the fork, the wings having arcuate slots concene tric with the pivot elements, the side portions of the fork each having a single-walled terminal, each single-walled terminal having an opening, provided with opposite parallel walls clamping bolts mounted in the slots of the wings and in the openings of the single-walled terminals, the

shanks of the bolts having fiat sides engaging the opposite parallel walls of the openings in the single-walled terminals to prevent the bolts from turning, said openings being elongated transversely of the arcuate slots, and radially with respect to the pivot elements, to facilitate the mountings of the bolts when there is a variation in the radii of the arcuate slots in the wings of different blades, there being a single seat on each side portion of the fork, and the wings being provided with ribs on both sides of each slot and engageable in the seats, the ribs being disposed radially with respect to the pivot elements and extending from one end of each slot to the other end thereof, the ribs extending on both sides of each slot, and the side portions of the fork being narrow enough so that the ribs can be seen on both sides of each of said side portions, the ribs thus forming a visible scale, by which the angle of the blade with regard to the handle may be det min he ri r eh orci he wings on eac si e t a h lot an uts on the bo s a d n a n ai s n -wa le e m a s, e rib n he in s en a the sea s t h d the a e t ad ted an le h n the ut are tightened.

HARLE HI QN, 

